Neighbours Zambia and Malawi clash tonight at Rabat’s Al Madina Stadium in the final Group C match at the on going WAFCON with a place in tge quarter finals at stake.
While Zambia has a higher ceiling in terms of WAFCON pedigree, Copper Queens head coach Nora Häuptle believes there is very little to separate the two sides.
Häuptle described Malawi as a side with similar qualities to Zambia, pointing to the depth and experience within both squads.
“This squad is as equal to us. They have top players at club level, and they have players abroad; they also have good players in the squad behind the top players. So it’s a very similar team in the picture to our team.
“We know about their strength. We also played against each other a lot, so players know each other. Tactic-wise, there are not so many secrets, I would say, in this game, but again, we bounce back to us,” the Copper Queens coach said.
Malawi go into the encounter on six points after back-to-back victories over Egypt and Nigeria in their opening Group C fixtures, while Zambia have collected three points from their first two matches and will be aiming to secure a result that strengthens their chances of reaching the knockout stages.
The match will feature some of Africa’s biggest stars. Zambia will pin their hopes on captain Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, while Malawi will look to the influential Chawinga sisters, Temwa and Tabitha, to continue their impressive form.
With regional pride, qualification hopes and Group C supremacy all at stake, today’s Southern African derby promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the tournament.
Kick-off is set for 22:00 CAT in Rabat at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
